Chancellor, Richard, -1556; Europe -- Description and travel; Russia -- Description and travel; Willoughby, Hugh, Sir, -1554
“Ohthere moreover said that the land of the Northmen was very long and
very narrow; all that is fit either for pasture or ploughing lies along
the sea coast, which, however, is in some parts very cloddy; along the
eastern side are wild moors, extending a long way up parallel to the
cultivated land. The Finlanders inhabit these moors, and the cultivated
land is broadest to the eastward; and, altogether, the more northward it
lies, the more narrow it is. Eastward it may perhaps be sixty miles
broad, in some places broader; about the middle, thirty miles, or
somewhat more; and northward, Ohthere says (where it is narrowest), it
may be only three miles across from the sea to the moors, which, however,
are in some parts so wide, that a man could scarcely pass over them in
two weeks, though in other parts perhaps in six days. Then parallel with
this land southward is Sweoland, on the other side of the moors,
extending quite to the northward; and running even with the northern part
of it is Cwenaland. The Cwenas sometimes make incursions against the
Northmen over these moors, and sometimes the Northmen on them; there are
very large meres of fresh water beyond the moors, and the Cwenas carry
their ships overland into the meres, whence they make depredations on the
Northmen; they have ships that are very small and very light.
“Ohthere said that the shire which he inhabited is called Halgoland. He
says that no human being abode in any fixed habitation to the north of
him. There is a port to the south of this land, which is called
Sciringes-heal. Thither he said that a man could not sail in a month, if
he watched in the night, and every day had a fair wind; and all the while
he shall sail along the coast; and on his right hand first is Island, and
then the islands which are between Island and this land. Then this land
continues quite to Sciringes-heal; and all the way on the left is Norway.
To the south of Sciringes-heal a great sea runs up a vast way into the
country, and is so wide that no man can see across it. (Jutland is
opposite on the other side, and then Sealand.) This sea lies many
hundred miles up into the land. Ohthere further says that he sailed in
five days from Sciringes-heal to that port which men call Æt-Hæthum,
which stands between the Winedæ, the Saxons, and the Angles, and is
subject to the Danes.
“When Ohthere sailed to this place from Sciringes-heal, Denmark was on
his left, and on his right the wide sea, for three days; and for the two
days before he came to Hæthum, on his right hand was Jutland, Sealand,
and many islands; all which lands were inhabited by the English, before
they came hither; and for these two days the islands which are subject to
Denmark were on his left.”
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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